When the Major Associations released their list yesterday the Central Districts Stags' XI for the the first round of the 2011-12 summer of cricket revealed a crop of youngsters mixed with experienced campaigners.
CD skipper Jamie How is indubitably the No 1 contracted player, eclipsing former international Mathew Sinclair, while the others in the older bandwagon include prolific opening batsman Peter Ingram and wily opening bowler Michael Mason.
Nevertheless it's the rash of young guns such as newcomers Bevan Small, Ben Wheeler (on the heels of an elevated contract last summer), and Napier Old Boys' Marist trio of Doug Bracewell, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Auckland spinner Tarun Nethula who provide the core girth of the fragmented region in domestic cricket.
"Obviously we want to reward the young with contracts and retain a balance of experience and youth," coach Alan Hunt said last night.
"We have a good development programme here and we want to reward those who are loyal to us so that's a good message to get out there," said Hunt, who is in his second season with CD.
The contracting process for domestic players involves two rounds. Each Major Association can offer 9-11 contracts at their discretion in the first round and then complete the process to their full contingent of 12 players with second round contracts offered on August 9.
The introduction of the two-stage structure is to ensure increased competition for the final contracts with the view to securing the best 92 players contracted throughout the country.
The domestic contracts offered yesterday will start from October 1.
The top players can command as much as $36,000, decreasingly incrementally by $2000 to a lower threshold of around $21,000 but New Zealand Cricket, in conjunction with the players' association, may revise the eight-year agreement under the current economic climate.
Conspicuous in his absence in the CD ranks is middle-order batsman Tim Weston, who Sinclair said had opted to stay in England to teach through this sourthern summer.
"Timmy is a CD stalwart so it's a damn shame to lose players who are from the CD environment.
"On the other hand the younger ones are the future of our association and I don't like to see them leave our region because we've spent a heck of a lot of time in developing them," Sinclair said last night.
The others to fall in the unlucky category include batsman and part-time spinner George Worker, who has moved to the Canterbury Wizards, Cornwall Cricket Club batsman Brad Patton and Ben Smith, of Wanganui.
Sinclair reckons those players, especially Smith, could be pushing for the No 12 contract.
Injury has effectively robbed left-arm fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan (back/pelvis) and Seth Rance (ankle) of a look in.
However, Hunt felt the loss of experience was inevitable although that could also mean the door of opportunity was beckoning others to the fold.
"Of course, just because you don't get a contract doesn't mean you can't play for CD," the Aucklander said, adding that was applicable to Patton who had underachieved last summer.
The Stags again don't have a dearth of leaders with How the prime candidate but should he feature in the international matrix again the likes of wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk and Sinclair are equally adept at assuming the mantle of leadership.
Hunt said no doubt How, who is away overseas, was very capable and would still fancy his chances of an international recall.
Sinclair said from a contractual point it was always heartening and a sense of relief to know the association still recognised someone like him, who was considered getting long in the tooth.
"In my position it's still very exciting to receive a call each year," the NOBM player said, adding only five months ago he was weighing his options on whether he still had something to offer to the Stags.
Contemplating a fulltime job or even coaching, Sinclair said he devised a two-year playing plan and had consulted Hunt, who had offered him a list of things to attain in making a contribution in all three formats of the code - Twenty20, one dayers and four dayers.
"Only two seasons ago I was the top run scorer in this and that so I'm pretty goal orientated now.
"Last season I was the No 1 contracted player so I can tell you now I'm definitely not this season," he said with a laugh, after grappling with his patchy form last summer.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from Sport
Gone in six seconds: Injured footballers on long road back to fitness
A sportsman who suffered a horror knee injury six seconds into a match opens up.